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May 7, 2018

Health in Early Childhood sets the Foundation for Overall Well-Being in Adulthood

Healthy childhood development is affected by things like employment, education, income, where we live, and social networks, these are also referred to as a social determinant of health, and are a valuable investment for all communities. Physical, emotional and language skills learned early on in life contributes to confidence (feeling proud), competency (completing tasks) and resiliency (bouncing back from a hard day) across the lifespan.

Why is a healthy childhood a concern in Leeds, Grenville and Lanark?

The Early Developmental Instrument (EDI) is a tool used to indicate level of risk related to child development in comparison to the Province of Ontario

In 2016, the Early Developmental Instrument (EDI) indicated that in Leeds and Grenville, children are at increased risk with regards to their physical health and well-being, social competence and emotional maturity as compared to children in Ontario

23.1% of children were not “on track” with their physical health and well-being and 28.8% of kids were identified as having a concern regarding their emotional maturity

In Lanark County, EDI scores, in 2016, highlight that children are at increased risk in language and cognitive development as compared to children in Ontario

19.1% of children were not “on track” with their physical health and well-being and 23.6% of kids were identified as having a concern regarding their emotional maturity

The health of children is directly related to the ability of parents to have: